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Sprint Adds Six Markets to Initial Spark Launch; Mobile Peak Speeds Up to 60 Mbps Now Available in 11 Markets

[January 07, 2014]

Sprint Adds Six Markets to Initial Spark Launch; Mobile Peak Speeds Up to 60 Mbps Now Available in 11 Markets

LAS VEGAS --(Business Wire)--

Proving that everything really is bigger in Texas, the "Big D" now
enjoys the unprecedented network speeds of Sprint (News - Alert) SparkSM. In
addition to Dallas, Sprint today announced the availability of Sprint
Spark in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio as well as Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. Sprint Spark is a powerful network capability that will
deliver unprecedented wireless data speeds of up to 60Mbps and support a
new generation of online gaming, virtual reality, advanced cloud
services and other applications requiring high bandwidth.

Spark is now available in the following 11 markets:

Austin, Texas

Chicago

Dallas

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Fort Worth, Texas

Houston

Los Angeles

Miami

New York

San Antonio, Texas

Tampa, Fla.

"Sprint Spark is all about performance," said Stephen Bye (News - Alert), chief
technology officer for Sprint. "When we bring Spark into a market, it is
like trading up to the fastest sports car on the showroom floor. I am
excited to see where we will take this technology in 2014 because I know
we are bringing our customers an unprecedented network experience."

These amazing speeds are possible because of the rollout of Sprint's
Network Vision program, a complete upgrade of the 3G network and
deployment of 4G LTE, which also benefits Sprint's no-contract brands
Boost Mobile, payLo and Virgin Mobile (News - Alert) USA. As part of that program,
Sprint is redeploying its 800MHz spectrum for LTE and 3G, delivering
improved in-building coverage for voice and data. Sprint expects the
rollout of Network Vision to be largely complete by mid-2014.

Sprint plans to deploy Sprint Spark in about 100 of America's largest
cities during the next three years. By the end of this year, 100 million
Americans are expected to have Sprint Spark coverage.

Spark Speeds on Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go

Building on Network Vision's multimode capability, Sprint Spark is
designed to accommodate all of Sprint's spectrum bands on a single
device. These tri-band smartphones give users the best experience by
transparently shifting from one band to another, depending on such
factors as location or type of application.

NETGEAR®Mingle™Mobile Hotspot will be the
first tri-band device available for prepaid customers in the United
States. It will be available this quarter on Virgin Mobile's competitive
Broadband2Go no-contract plans, which include daily service on Sprint's
3G/4G LTE networks (where available) for $5/day. Broadband2Go also
offers monthly data plans for $25 with 1.5GB or $55 with 6GB.

Mingle lets you take Wi-Fi with you, accommodating up to 10 wireless
devices simultaneously. It is a dual-mode 3G/4G LTE device, providing up
to 12.5 hours active time (1,800mAh battery) and featuring secure access
with password protection, plus a 1.77-inch LCD display screen.

Next Wave of Postpaid Spark Devices Debut

Announced at the end of 2013, LG G2 (News - Alert) will become tri-band enabled through
a software update later this month. Nexus 5 by LG and the following two
devices will soon join the initial group of Spark-enabled devices:

LG G Flex is the world's first curved,
flexible smartphone and the first device that is curved to follow the
contour of the face. Unique to Sprint, G Flex will take advntage of
the Sprint Spark network. G Flex helps to deliver a more immersive,
cinematic experience, with the result being the most comfortable
viewing angle for watching videos or playing games. Setting a new
milestone in the evolution of the smartphone, G Flex reduces the
distance between one's mouth to the microphone when the device is held
against the ear. The curved design also offers a more reassuring grip
and fits more comfortably in one's back pocket or jacket. G Flex also
comes equipped with a 3,500mAh battery and offers up to 29 hours of
talk time. For more information, please visit www.sprint.com/lggflex.

NETGEAR LTE Gateway (News - Alert) 6100D brings the
benefit of Sprint Spark's improved in-building coverage to business
and enterprise customers. It is a fixed wireless router designed to
bring high data bandwidth and 24/7 connectivity to fit any business
need. This device is the perfect solution to back up primary service
to avoid outages or to replace primary Internet service in the office
because it can connect up to 80 Wi-Fi users while using the high-speed
capabilities of Sprint Spark. It comes preloaded with many powerful
enterprise features, including Power over Ethernet, WAN to WWAN
failover, TR-069 remote management, advanced Wi-Fi encryption and VPN
capability.

Customers with Sprint Spark-enabled devices can select the new Sprint
Framily Plan - a revolutionary pricing program that lets consumers
decide who they consider family. The Sprint Framily Plan is available to
new and existing customers. The more people added to the group, up to 10
phone lines, the greater the savings for everyone on the plan. And
because each account can be billed separately, customers can choose who
is in their group.

For one line of service, new Sprint customers pay $55 per month per line
for unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data. For each additional new Sprint
customer who joins the Framily group, the cost per person goes down $5 a
month up to a maximum monthly discount of $30 per line. Build a group of
at least seven people and everyone gets unlimited talk, text and 1GB of
data for $25 per month per line (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).
All members of the group can customize their plan to meet their unique
needs. For only $20 per month per line, Framily members can buy up to
unlimited data plus get a new phone every year. Plan members can share
the savings, without the hassle of sharing a bill. Each account can be
billed separately. Unlimited features are while on the Sprint network.

For details on Sprint's 4G LTE rebuild and rollout, go to www.sprint.com/network.
For 4G LTE maps, visit www.sprint.com/coverage.
Customers, consumers and members of the media are encouraged to check
back regularly as all maps will be updated and revised as the network's
coverage expands.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE:S) offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers,
businesses and government users. Sprint served more than 54 million
customers at the end of the third quarter of 2013 and is widely
recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national
carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data
services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost
Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international
push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The
American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved
company in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the
last five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.